8 Reasons To Visit Iceland

We just got back from Iceland. And we absolutely loved it. The island in the North Atlantic, which was originally settled by Vikings in the 800's, is home to volcanoes, glaciers, lava fields and waterfalls....tons of waterfalls. So here are 8 Reasons To Visit Iceland.

8 Reasons To Visit Iceland

The Land of Fire and Ice has become a tourism hotspot over the past couple of year. And for good reason. Iceland is an incredible country, with features that you won't find anywhere else in the world.

Picturesque Towns & Cities

Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, feels more like a large town than a capital. It's extremely quaint and very picturesque.

But Reykjavik isn't the only cute town. Coastal towns like Vik also make for very Instagrammable photos.

Extremely Safe

If you're worried about visiting a foreign country, this is one of the main reasons to visit Iceland. Iceland is an extremely safe country. The crime rate is historically one of the lowest in the world and violent crimes are nearly nonexistent. The country does not have a standing army, and its police officers do not carry guns.

The Rainbows

In the five days we spent in Iceland, we saw dozens of rainbows. Dozens. And these aren't your normal rainbows. These are insanely bright and vivid rainbows.

And sometimes double rainbows.

Delicious Water

Don't buy bottled water in Iceland. It's almost insulting. Iceland's water is so clean, that you can drink it straight from the tap or even creeks and streams. Icelandic water is not only safe, it’s also delicious. It does not have the faint taste of chloride that many associate with tap water, since it’s never chemically purified. It comes straight from sources where the water has filtered through lava and is clean as can be.

One day we even took an adventure to track down the Olkelda mineral spring, a natural source for sparkling water.

Thousands of Waterfalls

There are around 10,000 plus waterfalls in Iceland, and they are as varied and beautiful as they are many. Iceland's climate and location is especially suited to waterfalls with frequent rain and snow, combined with the multitude of glaciers that melt in summer.

No McDonalds

Yes, Iceland is the only country in Europe not to have a McDonalds or Starbucks. But that doesn't mean you won't find good food. In fact we were a bit worried about the food options when we were planning our Iceland trip. But don't worry, we found delicious locally prepared food and cute local coffee shops.

Geothermal Pools

Just like the delicious drinking water, Iceland also has limitless access to hot water! You can find hot springs basically everywhere and bathing in them is simply awesome. The Blue Lagoon is probably the most famous geothermal pool but there are other ones that are also worth checking out.

We visited the Krauma Baths and the the pools and hot tubs were extremely well maintained and relaxing. And Krauma Baths has a relaxation lounge, steam rooms and a delicious restaurant.

Black Sand Beaches

Iceland is one of the few spots in the world where you can visit a Black Sand Beach. Okay, it’s not exactly the sand as it’s more of a mix of small black stones. These stones were created when lava collided with the Atlantic Ocean. It’s a really stunning place on earth and each stone is cold, smooth, and has a shine to it.

We visited Reynisfjara which is a world-famous black-sand beach found on the South Coast of Iceland, just beside the small town of Vik. With its enormous basalt stacks, roaring Atlantic waves and stunning panoramas, Reynisfjara is widely considered to be the most beautiful example of Iceland's black sand beaches.